THEIR MISSION, A LASTING MEMORY

Story - Elder Otumbari 


When you serve the Lord diligently, you feel proud and happy when your time is up.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we dedicate twenty four (24) months (male) and eighteen (18) months (female) of our time here in mortality especially during our teenage age to serve the Lord and His Children.

There are no exceptions for those who serve, except that one needs to be worthy. This is no exception for some wonderful Elder and Sisters who served Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission/Nigeria Owerri Mission; reason being that Owerri Mission was created from Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission.

Sister Whitney Aliche and Sister Nunoo

As a missionary who is still labouring I can tell you that their journey has come with so many trials, temptations and disheartening conditions. They have laboured faithfully.

Dinner at Family Home Evening

Sister Dene (departing missionary), Elder Anamoah (Assistant), Sister Nunoo (departing missionary) and Elder Boateng (Financial Secretary)

It was all joy in the faces of these missionaries when they came to the Mission Home in Owerri on the 29th August, 2016. They were hosted to a Family Home Evening with President Aliche and his family, taken to Aba Nigeria Temple for Temple Worship, and the final lap being a Dinner at Rockview Hotel Owerri, Nigeria. They deserve more, but we do not pay neither does the church for Missionary
 Work but the Lord blesses those who serve him diligently.

Departing Missionaries Banner

Missionaries with President and Sister Aliche

Sometimes people might tend to ask, is it just this banner they get for twenty four (24) months and eighteen (18) months respectively after serving?

But they get a lot more than this. They get unnumbered blessings coupled with the unparalleled love of our Eternal Father in Heaven. Now, That's a lot.

Elder Eguefo and Elder Otumbari

So many memories will never be forgotten, especially that of my trainer who came to the Mission Home in Port Harcourt some 12 months ago to pick me as a new trainee. He was an example of humility.  He was dedicated, ready to serve and quick to take corrections. He taught me some of the most important principle as a missionary he was more than a trainer, i see him as a brother and you might add a "father". i will miss him.

Departing Missionaries with Mission President and Wife

Elders in a Happy Mood

JUST AS HAPPY AS THEY COULD BE

THEIR MEMORIES WILL LIVE FOREVER IN MY HEART

ELDER VINSON'S ZONE TOUR, A CALL FOR MORE DEDICATION

Have you ever learnt under the feet of General Authorities of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints? I tell you, they are all called of God. They teach the plain and pure truth. They teach the word of God.

This was the same experience I had recently at our Mission Tour in Nigeria Owerri Mission. Immediately Elder Vinson stepped his foot into the Mission Home you just can feel something different. He arrived Nigeria Owerri Mission Home on the 24th day of August, 2016.

Nigeria Owerri Mission Home

After meeting with the Mission President and His wife for a few minutes, he was taken for a tour of the mission home and that was when I had the privilege of shaking this dedicated servant of the Lord.

After the tour of the Mission home he met with the Mission President (President Aliche), His wife (Sister Aliche) and the Assistants (Elder Iniunam and Elder Anamoah). They had dinner and discussed. Not also forgetting a leadership council he had the same day with members of Mission's Leadership Council comprising of the Assistants, Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders.

But the highlight of the whole visit was recorded much later the next day (25th August, 2016) when he met with all the missionaries. Elder Vinson taught us the importance of reverence in a meeting, missionaries forget this when they were laughing loudly hearing the departing missionaries bear their testimonies in the tour. Elder Vinson seeing this halted the Tour and allowed everyone to take some few minutes break coming back to continue this time in a much more reverent manner.

Elder Vinson taught with power and authority (Mosiah 13:6) and he spoke the Truth from God (Mosiah 12:30), to some they could have been angry (Mosiah 13:8) initially, but what he did helped bring reverence to the meeting. We were all edified at the end of the day.

Front Seat (Elder and Sister Vinson)/President and Sister Aliche with all Missionaries

Much later, he had a meeting with the Ward and Stake Leaders, I was opportuned to be in that meeting because I was to play the Video on Slides. One lesson i will never forget in a hurry from Elder Vinson is that as a leader we must be conversant with the handbook of instruction and he was. Just like the words of Sister Vinson, I can boldly tell you that Elder Vinson does what he preaches. He is indeed a servant of the Lord and as a missionary and i can tell that the mission as a whole were edified and happy to have him come.
 
  
Elder Otumbari 

OUR FIRST LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, A RAY OF HOPE

To everything they say there will surely be a beginning. That is not exempting the GREAT Nigeria Owerri Mission.

Members of the Leadership Council

Elder Anamoah (Assistant), President Aliche and Sister Aliche

Starting a mission comes with lot of expectation and uncertainty. Here in Nigeria Owerri Mission, we seem ready and up to the challenge. Just like the words of our President, this Leadership council will go down history line as the first and maybe if i should the most memorable.

Lunch Time

 With determined leaders, lovely and hardworking missionaries and not exempting good attributes and diligence to serve our Heavenly Father, we are ready to go.

FAMILIARIZATION TOUR OF FAMILIAR BUT IMPORTANT MESSAGE

There are messages we here and we tell ourselves, "I think it is high time I sit up". That is what happens when you the message of repentance.
When President Aliche announced he will be going for a familiarization tour of all zones, he never announced he will be teaching the plain truth as it were.
Never a time have I doubted that the Lord calls leaders and qualifies them. The experience I had at the familiarization tour strengthen my testimony on this principle. "The Lord Truly Call His Leaders".

Underlisted are some of the teachings from the familiarization tour:
1. Repentance: President taught that Repentance isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s painful. But you are up to the task. It requires change and humility, and you can do it! (Mosiah 4:1-3, 6)
2. Missionary Handbook: He reiterated that the handbook contains the basic standards of missionary service and conduct approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Follow these standards. They will help you magnify your calling and protect you physically and spiritually.
Use the handbook regularly. Strive to understand and live the principles and standards taught in it. Learn and live the higher law as taught by Jesus Christ (see Matthew 5; 3 Nephi 12).

Owerri Zone with President and Sister Aliche with Family

3. Preach My Gospel: He re-emphasized the importance of the Preach my Gospel and reminded us that it is a Guide to Missionary Service. Use Preach My Gospel to meet your needs as a missionary. You can spend an entire study session on just a few paragraphs—or an entire chapter. You can study chapters in order or plan another sequence that better meets your needs. This flexibility allows you to study what you need when you need it and as directed by your mission president.

 

Aba Zone with President Aliche and Family at Familiarization Tour at Temple Complex

4. Revelation: He made emphasis on revelation, telling us that Revelation is communication from God to His children. This guidance comes through various channels according to the needs and circumstances of individuals, families, and the Church as a whole. When the Lord reveals His will to the Church, He speaks through His prophet. Prophets are the only people who can receive revelation for the Church, but they are not the only people who can receive revelation. According to our faithfulness, we can receive revelation to help us with our specific personal needs, responsibilities, and questions and to help us strengthen our testimony.

 

Umuahia Zone with President Aliche and Family at the Familiarization Tour 

5. Integrity: He took some time to stress on this subject, telling simple stories and then reminding us that Integrity is the willingness and desire to live by our beliefs and standards. Read Moroni 10:30–33. Remember your integrity as a Missionary should not and never be questioned.

What a lesson learnt, I felt the spirit strongly and it was a confirmation that this is what the Lord wants me (us) to hear at this point in time.